This trail is not only easy to get to, but it provides a relatively moderate hike to some of the best views in the Huachucas. In the process it also offers access to two of the highest points in southeastern Arizona, Carr Peak and (via the Crest Trail #103) Miller Peak. For these reasons, this combination of trails provides some of the most popular hiking on the Sierra Vista District.

Carr Peak Trail is conveniently accessible from both the Reef Townsite Campground and Ramsey Vista Campground on scenic Carr Canyon Road. The main trailhead is located at the edge of a parking area just outside Ramsey Vista Campground. Other means of access are provided by a short spur that comes directly out of the Ramsey Vista Campground, and the Old Sawmill Spring Trail from the parking lot across FR 368 from the Reef Townsite Campground.

Much of the 2,000 foot climb from the trailhead to the summit is through an area that has been burned by at least two wildfires, one in 1977 that scorched much of the upper reaches of the mountain range and a smaller one in 1991. These areas of disturbance are well on their way to healing naturally as various shrubs, trees and wildflowers return to reclaim them. In places where a short time ago only ashes, burnt snags and bare dirt could be found, healthy communities of young aspens are already putting on brilliant displays of fall colors.

The trail offers good views of the upper reaches of Carr Peak and of Miller Peak across Miller Canyon. To get to the top of Carr Peak (9,230'), you'll need to follow the short but steep Carr Peak Spur. The main trail continues on to a connection with the Crest Trail, which offers access not only to Miller Peak, but to the rest of the Huachuca Mountains trail network.

When hiking several trails on a single "hike", log it with a generic name that describes the hike. Then link the trails traveled, check out the example.

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

Most recent of 35 deeper Triplog Reviews

Carr Peak Trail #107

Not many photosets from up that way this summer, so I thought I would go check things out. It is one of the great summer wildflower hikes in Arizona. The number different varieties represented in 3 miles of trail is pretty amazing. Whether the monsoon has been good or bad, this one always delivers. It has been a hot summer and the rains were late and spotty, so I expected the display to be less than some years. This turned out to be somewhat true, but the year to year differences are minimal. Wow factor stays strong.

I picked Monday to go up because the chance for storms was low that day. That worked out pretty well, as I slowly worked my way up to the peak, camera in hand. A couple of folks from Bisbee and Sierra Vista caught up to me around the aspen zone, and they continued on. Fortunately, they were still on the peak when I arrived, and we had a nice conversation and took some photos. They departed and I hung out awhile longer. By this time it was midday and clouds were increasing, but no thunderheads were seen. On my way down through the aspen zone I was surprised when light rain started falling. This persisted and increased some in intensity, and when I finally put on the poncho I was already soaked. But it was mild and it felt good to be out of the sunlight. It was odd, seemed like this small cloud, rain area was just over the immediate area. There never was any lightning or thunder, so that was a plus.

That made me think of the worst case of hypothermia I ever had, right here on this trail back in June 1990. I was camping up there to get out of the heat back in Tucson (highs around 110). No rain was in the forecast, since it was June before the monsoon really got going. As I was coming off the peak, clouds were rapidly building just to the south (no doubt the heat was creating major instability, allowing the limited moisture to boil up into thunderstorms). It was a surprise for sure how fast this took place! Nearby cracks of thunder made me pick up my pace. Luckily, the thunder abated, but not the rain and insane wind as I tried my best to high tail it down the trail. Of course, I was wearing only shorts and a t-shirt, and since no rain was expected, I didn't have a poncho. I had no protection from the chilly wind whipped rain and I was getting colder and colder. After awhile I couldn't feel my fingers and started shaking uncontrollably from loss of body heat. I was also slowing down and getting a bit spaced out. But I kept going as best I could. By the time I got back to camp, my ears and hands were numb and it was all I could do to get in the tent, take off the clothes and crawl into my sleeping bag and curl up in the fetal position, shaking like crazy. I dozed off thank goodness and when I awoke later, I was finally warming up and not shaking. But that pins and needles feeling as the circulation returns wasn't fun. It is amazing how fast you can go from hot to cold!

Good old Carr Peak, lots of fun over the years.

Wildflowersextreme in places

2019-08-26rwstorm

Carr Peak Trail #107

my annual birthday campout and associated hike (a week late)... didn't get reef townsite campsite 13 on friday, but since they make you pay the same for the second vehicle in a campsite the same... we had campsite 12 for friday night with two vehicles, and i moved over to campsite 13 for the second night so we wouldn't have any neighbors at least.

the hike... the boots are still comfortable and that first part of old sawmill spring trail still sucks.

the flowers... the deers ears were taller than me but not yet in full bloom. the generic yellow flowers near the top attracted all of the pollinators. so many butterflies!

since i hadn't been hiking in a while, it took me nearly all day... but i still hike circles around the sofa spuds. when i was enjoying my peak beer, there were a couple of young studs who were bragging at their time up at 53 minutes. i wouldn't have gotten any photos if i did it that way.

2019-07-20cindyl

Carr Peak Trail #107

Lutz Miller Carr

Met up with Chumley, JJ & Carrie for a fun hike in the Huachucas. Chumley, JJ & myself met in Chandler and made the drive down and picked up Carrie in Tucson. From there we made the drive to the Lutz Canyon TH and started hiking around mid-morning.

The Lutz Canyon Trail makes a steady and solid climb as it heads for the crest trail. It was a relatively cool day for mid June after some rain fell the previous day. Along the climb up we stopped to explore a mine shaft that was littered with garbage left by migrants. From there we grinded up the final mile to the Crest Trail where we took a short break. After that we continued on and topped out on Miller Peak. We took a short lunch break here and enjoyed the views.

After Miller we continued north along the Crest Trail and took another short break by Bathtub Spring. We debated our options and decided to head for Carr Peak and I'm glad we did. The short detour took about an hour and this is another quality peak with excellent views! After Carr, we returned to Bathtub Spring and headed down Miller Canyon. The top part of this trail had some downed trees but it didn't last for long. Overall, this trail is in good condition. We eventually connected onto the Hunter Trail and were soon back on road. Once we hit the road, Chumley called an Uber. It took a few minutes to arrive but was well worth the wait. Chumley retrieved JJ's jeep and then played roundup. After that it was back to Tucson for dinner and then back to Phoenix.

This was a really great hike with a fun group! I really enjoy the Huachucas and hope to make an annual return. It's a hearty drive from Phoenix but well worth the time. Thanks JJ for driving and thanks Chumley for organizing!

2018-06-17John9L

Carr Peak Trail #107

Lutz Miller Carr

My first time in the Huahucas and this range exceeded my expectations! JJ, John, and Chumley picked me up in Tucson at 7:20 and we were on the trail at 9:02. The first ~4 miles up to the crest were a solid workout, especially with JJ setting the pace. Chloe, for one, was happy to reach the Crest Trail and be rewarded with lots of shade and a cool breeze. I was really impressed by the views from Miller Peak (I think I might actually prefer this peak to Wrightson! ). The next few miles between Miller and Carr were my favorite of the day: aspen grove, Bathtub Spring, big views of Miller and Carr along the crest, and even some early wildflowers. We didn't hang out on the top of Carr for long, as we still had ~9-10 miles to go. The hike down Miller Canyon and Hunter Canyon was pleasant and quick, except for the last mile or so when Chloe started feeling the heat and needed to take a few shade breaks.

Big thanks to @JuanJaimeiii for driving and @chumley for planning the route and saving us a couple miles of hot road walking! And thanks to y'all for introducing me to an awesome new spot so close to Tucson. I'll definitely be planning a return trip to see those wildflowers!

2018-06-17carriejane

Carr Peak Trail #107

Sky Islands Summit Challenge

This was a hiking event organized by the City of Sierra Vista. Participants in this event had 3 options: hike to Carr Peak only; hike to Miller Peak and Carr Peak; or hike to Pat Scott Peak, Carr Peak, and Miller Peak. Miller Peak(9,466'), Carr Peak(9,220'), and Pat Scott Peak(8,700') are the 1st, 2nd, and 4th highest peaks, respectively, in the Huachuca Mountains. I naturally opted to hike to all 3 peaks.

This was a neat event, and at 19.6 miles and an AEG of 5,800', the hike was a buttkicker, at least for me. The hike started at the Ramsey Canyon Conservancy; went up the Hamburg Trail; then to the Pat Scott Canyon Trail; then off-trail to the summit of Pat Scott Peak; then on the Crest Trail to the Carr Peak trail to the Carr Peak spur trail which went to the summit of Carr Peak; then back to the Crest Trail to Bathtub Spring, and the route continued on the Crest Trail to the Miller Peak spur trail which went to the summit of Miller Peak; then back to Bathtub Spring, from which we went down the Miller Canyon Trail to the Miller Canyon TH, which completed the hike.

There were nice 360 degree views from the top of each of the 3 peaks.

2018-05-26DixieFlyer

Carr Peak Trail #107

Carr Peak Hike

Sunday morning dawned with low hanging clouds and full blown monsoon saturation. I wanted to do this hike, but was unsure about how early thunderstorms would become a problem. Went down and said goodbye to Cindy and Bobby, who were leaving (I would be on the trail when they drove out). That's when I decided to go for it, thinking the storms from the previous night would inhibit rapid development (I know...wishful thinking on a Sky Island ). Roll the dice.

Turns out the heavy cloud cover worked to my advantage by keeping me cool on the way up. By the time I reached the peak I could hear thunder to the west over towards the Parker Canyon Lake area. Radar loop showed storm motion toward the west, so I was fine. But new stuff was beginning to blossom to the northeast, so I didn't stay on top long. The trip down was uneventful and actually downright fantastic, as I got to watch the storms growing and consolidating in the distance. Heard a little more thunder to the northeast (not close) and enjoyed a few raindrops along the way.

The grand Huachuca loop of peaks, wildflowers & enough water to filter all day. Heading in there were a lot of cars at a lower area. Only encountered one gentleman up top Miller. He called the trail scary vs previous years due to overgrowth and snake potential. The worst quarter mile section through berry bushes had been recently trimmed wide for half the section. So it seemed better than previous years. There was a lot of grass and other low bushes semi hiding the trail but I'd wear shorts again in a heartbeat.

Thought we found two kilos on Miller. I was on the horn making deals for server enhancements when jj delivered the bad news. Just two wet blankets wrapped well in baling twine.

My first time down Pat Scott and boy it delivered. The top is majestic views then it's a wonderful canopy along the roaring creek. We chased the google street view car around a bit on the way home.

Wildflowerslarge hillsides plastered in yellow among others along the trail

2016-09-14joebartels

Carr Peak Trail #107

A group of us headed out to the Huachucas for a nice weekend of car camping and hiking. We started with Carr Peak. The trail makes a solid climb that takes some effort. It was a hot and sunny day with a chance of rain later in the day. The trail eventually levels off and you make the final push to the summit. Once up top our group took a break and enjoyed the views overlooking Sierra Vista. After we had our fill we headed for Miller Peak. Along the way rain & hail started falling. Claire didn’t have a rain coat so I stayed back with her. We decided to turn around and head back but opted for a loop hike returning down Wisconsin Canyon and the Comfort Spring Trail. At some point it stopped raining and the rest of the hike was very enjoyable. The Huachucas are fantastic! The trails are in good condition and the views are wonderful!

2016-08-20John9L

Carr Peak Trail #107

Carr Miller Comfort

There was to be some gathering of Tucson hikers in the majestic Huachuca Mountains, and I felt that some representation from the northerly neighbors was in order, so I invited myself along!

We arrived Friday night in order to acclimate for the big day ahead! Saturday morning we split into multiple hiking groups so as to limit impact in the Miller Peak Wilderness, but we all headed up to Carr Peak to start the day. From there different groups went different directions.

Karl and Dallin and I took the crest trail over to Miller Peak. Along the way it started to rain and hail, but there was no thunder or lightning so we happily pressed on. Bknorby, justmike, MrBadBern, My Joseph, Floridasunshine, gloope, and a few non-hazzers followed and arrived just as we were starting our trip back to the north, and Karl decided to hike with them for a bit.

The rain let up so Dallin and I decided to continue on the Crest trail around to Hamburg. This was a new trail for me. It's steep but takes you quickly down in a nicely shaded canyon to where there's running water.

The climb up Comfort Springs trail is a grind at the end of a big day like this, and I made some kind of mistake reading the map and thought it was only a 200 foot climb. It's 3x more than that, so I was a bit irritated! We caught up to 9L and Clairebear before reaching Comfort Springs, and Karl wasn't far behind us. Once back at camp, we met up with the others who had returned via the Carr trail.

An evening of laughter, good food, and better company followed! Thanks to bknorby for planning and letting me crash your party!

WildflowersNot as nice as last year, but tough not to say it's still substantial.

2016-08-20chumley

Carr Peak Trail #107

This was my first time to this nice little wilderness area and mountain range and I really enjoyed it. I came down on an invite to join several HAZers from Tucson and Phoenix for some hiking, camping and good times. I was not sure what to expect in terms of hiking, but I had heard good things about Carr, Miller and the wildflowers. The Comfort Springs Loop seemed to be the large group's consent pick, so I also decided to make it my destination for Saturday.

The hike up Carr is not to bad and the trail is in great shape for the most part. There is a little over-growth along the edges, but I imagine that thins out when the hiking season arrives. The views of Sierra Vista and the surrounding countryside were great, but the trail is a little bland at first, however, it gets nicer with a little stretch through some Aspen and then again as you near the peak and get out of the manzanita and scrub Once you near the peak you get some nice views of Miller, sections of the Crest Trail and some pines and wildflowers start to appear in more abundance. The spur up to the peak is a little steep at first, but it calms down quickly enough and then takes you up to the peak along a pretty scenic little ridgeline. We spent a long time on the peak and then planned the rest of our day. I opted for a return without Miller via the Crest Trail and Hamburg, while everyone else but Kyle headed for Miller.

The Crest Trail offered perhaps some of the best views of the day and the hike down Hamburg was very nice. There was ample water along this section of the hike and overall the canyon was pretty scenic. The final two miles involved a few short climbs and the entering and exiting of a couple of drainages, but nothing too overwhelming. The trough at Comfort Springs was pumping out nice clear cold water, which the dogs appreciated and being in no rush we took an extended break there, shortly after we were connecting our loop back at the trailhead and camp.

Another great Tucson area hike. The ranges in and around Tuscon have yet to disappoint me and this one was no exception. I am usually not a fan of crowds and campgrounds, but this was a fun weekend with some cool like minded outdoor enthusiasts and I am excited to come back to this area for some backpacking when the warm temperatures break.

To Carr TrailheadDrive south of Sierra Vista 7 miles on Arizona Highway 92 to the Carr Canyon Road (FR 368). Follow FR 368 about 6.5 miles to the Old Sawmill Spring trailhead across from the entrance to Reef Townsite Campground. The Carr Peak Trailhead is located at a parking lot just outside the entrance to Ramsey Vista Campground at the end of FR 368. Carr Peak Spur is accessible via the Carr Peak Trail.